TRUTH

This blog is not forgotten, but definitely neglected. I have a few ideas for posting, we'll see what happens. However, tonight Den and I are hosting our first night of the Truth Project. Check it out here.

Bulletin Cover 12/7

So this blog is sorely neglected for a variety of reasons. One being I'm posting daily on my fam blog for the advent season. For now here is my recent bulletin cover.

Christmas is here. Okay so perhaps we still have some time until the actual date, but the season is upon us even now. The most common question asked of me as a child was “what do you want for Christmas?” I still get asked this question by family and I can think of several practical and impractical things to fill my list with. However, this year I want to ask myself the same, but slightly altered, question.

What do I want for Christmas that cannot be bought in a store?

• A deeper relationship with my Lord. Oh I hope I never stop yearning for this. I don’t want to be caught in a place where I think I’ve “arrived” in my relationship with Christ. There is more of Him to know than I could ever dream of.
• A deeper appreciation of my relationship with Christ. My dad has said that when we get to heaven and see people like Moses, and run up to him and ask what it was like to see the Red Sea split, or ask Abraham about seeing God’s glory pass by, that they will say, “Ya, it was great, but tell me what it was like to have the Holy Spirit with you, and have it never leave you?” Our New Testament relationship is unique to those before Pentecost. I don’t want to take it for granted.
• I want to be completely yielding to God being the author of my life story. There are so many things in my life that have not gone the way I thought they would have. There are even some things in my finite mind that I still don’t understand and would change. How dare I? I want to take honor and be humbled that the author of the universe has taken interest in my story. He has specific plans for every aspect of my life, from being and wife to a mother, a friend and a servant. He has details for each. I don’t want to keep any part of it to myself.

I suppose those three things sum most of it up. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to presents under the tree. But if I don’t get excited about the gifts that are listed above, there is no point in anything else. What’s great is that I already have all things in Christ. ALL THINGS! I wish you could hear me shout for joy right now. Actually I wish I could shout, but I don’t want to frighten the children. Maybe I’ll go downstairs and get them to shout with me. Merry Christmas!

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

Advent

I'm having some fun with an advent calendar on my family blog. Click here.

bulletin cover 11/16

*photo by Nunook_Wolf_08

Does anyone else think that faith is scary? I have been thinking about this a lot lately, faith, that is. There is a great line in C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, where Susan asks the beaver if the lion named Aslan is safe. The response she receives is, " ‘Safe?’ said Mr. Beaver. ‘Who said anything about safe? Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.’ "

I know that God is a safe place, but according the standards of this world we live in, faith is risky. It doesn’t really let us do what we want all the time and that is contrary to everything that is being said around us. When we give our lives to God, we give our lives to Him. Our lives are no longer our own. We die to ourselves. I don’t mean to sound repetitive, but do we really get that? Most times I don’t think I do. I can think of several times in my life where I’ve been that place where I’ve said, “ask of me Lord, I want to obey!” Then He does and I don’t really like what hear so I tell myself that’s probably not God talking, or I have the audacity to say “whoa, there, slow down God! How about we try something else?”

What is the risk of walking in faith? Not fitting in? Ridicule of man? Humbling ourselves? Why are these things scary? Do I not realize who I am dealing with? I must not. I don’t believe that God is going to strike me down at the first sign of disobedience, but perhaps I should remember that He could. God’s love, patience, and forgiveness is without end to be sure. Yet I don’t want to take it for granted and forget that He is GOD. ( I wish I could say that in a powerful, booming voice for effect.)

I can’t believe that I’ve tried to tell God what to do. I can’t believe that I would fear man more than God (same big voice). I am so thankful that when things don’t seem safe, that I may remember that He is good.

Read Matthew 14:24-32

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1

a word from piper

some wisdom and perspective...reminding me of Who is sovereign.

No Sleep!

Last night the baby got up twice which could have been worse, but I was still wishing that it was zero times. I know I'm not the only mom who dreams of uninterrupted nights of sleep. I enter this place where I start to bargain with or even beg God for sleep. Is that too much to ask? Then last night this verse about God and how He neither slumbers nor sleeps came into my head. I'm sure it was by chance.

Psalm 121
I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; from whence shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made the heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun will not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.

10 things

So I've been neglecting this blog, because I don't FEEL like being vulnerable. ick.....but I'm working on that. SO as to follow the example of friends I'm simply going to list 10 things that I am thankful for and/or make me happy. I am supposed to write the bulletin cover for next Sunday, so I better get real soon, pray for that please.



in no particular order



1. When my kids willingly give me hugs and kisses

2. A friend telling me they love me as their friend

3. Coffee mixed with hot chocolate in the morning

4. Dennis kissing me goodbye in the am when I am mostly asleep

5. When V nearly sleeps through the night

6. Naps

7. Being included

8. pretty paper/fabric

9. blog comments (no hint intended :)

10. I heard my ring tone at the end of a movie the other day (son of rambow, check it out!)

this would make 11, but this pic makes me happy...abbie in the back goofing it up, traci is in the moment with a sincere smile...we were all getting our groove on....love it.